英语同义动词 Refuse, Decline, Reject, Spurn, Turn down的辨析
英语同义动词 Refuse, Decline, Reject, Spurn, Turn down的辨析
英语同义动词 Refuse, Decline, Reject, Spurn, Turn down，都含有“拒绝接受或不愿意考虑某人或某事”之意，但是它们各自有些不同的含义，下面通过一些例句来对它们进行辨析。
A）
Refuse: to say or show that you will not do something tht someone has asked you to do，or to say no to something that you have been offered:拒绝(做某事)；不接受谢绝（别人给的东西）；
普通英语用语，语气较强势，强调说话人的态度不会对拒绝的决意发生动摇；
例：
a)
I'm sure if you ask her to help you, she won't refuse.
我肯定，如果你向她求助，她不会拒绝。
b)
She refused to marry him. 她拒绝嫁给他。
c)
He firmly refused their bribe. 他拒不接受他们的贿赂。
d)
Mrs. Sutton refused a second piece of cake. 萨顿太太拒绝再吃一块蛋糕。
refuse：not to give or allow someone something that they want;
有时也用于表达:拒绝给予，即：refuse sb. sth.
例：
e)
The US authorities refused him a visa. 美国当局拒绝给他签证。
B)
Decline: to say no when someone invites you somewhere or offers you something
拒绝，谢绝；
该词语气不太强，，但更正式和客气。指“以口头或书面形式，有礼貌地拒绝、婉言谢绝参加某项社会活动的邀请或别人的帮助”。在比较正式的场合下，为了表示礼貌，可以代替refuse；
（注意：decline 不能以人作为其宾语！）
例：
a)
We asked her to come to our party, but she declined the invitation.
我们请她参加我们的宴会，但她婉言谢绝了这个邀请。
b)
The witness declined to answer certain questions put to him.
证人拒绝回答向他提出的某些问题。
c)
I never decline to do what shen asks me to do.
我从未拒绝她要我做的事。
e)
She declined his offer of a lift.
她拒绝了他的搭车的邀请。
C)
Reject：to refuse to accept idea, offer, application, suggestion, improvement, or plan;
语气更坚决，尤指“断然拒绝或否决别人的意见、申请、建议、改进或计划等”。
（注意：reject 之后，一般不接动词不定式。）
例：
a)
She rejected their offer of a job. 她拒绝接受他们提供的工作。
b)
He was rejected by the army because of his bad sight. 他因视力差而被拒绝入伍。
c)
Sarah rejected her brother's offer of help. 萨拉断然拒绝了她弟弟要帮忙的提议。
D)
Spurn: especially literary to refuser to accept something or to have a relationship with someone,especially because you are too proud;
(尤其指书面语的)；强调“轻蔑地或粗暴地拒绝他人提供的帮助、申请、请示、建议、贿赂等”。
例：
a)
She spurned all offers of help. 他轻蔑地拒绝了向他提供
的所有帮助。
b)
The judge spurned the bribe. 法官拒绝受贿。
c)
His application has been spurned by the board of directors.
他的申请已被董事会断然拒绝了。
E)
Turn down: to refuse an invitation, application, decision, suggestion, or plan;
语气不太正式，指“谢绝邀请、申请、决议、提议或计划等”；
例：
a)
Pauline has turned down offers from several different law firms.
波林拒绝了好几家不同律师事务所的聘请。
b)
Jimmy offered to marry her again, but she had already turned him down three times. 吉米再次向她求婚，但她已经三次拒绝了他。